Top Female Angel Investors Who Can Grow Your Business 

Women still face fewer funding opportunities than men, even though research consistently shows that female-founded companies generate higher revenue, create more jobs, and deliver stronger execution.

Across the world, a growing network of female angel investors is working to change that. These trailblazing women are not only investing in startups;  they’re investing in equality, innovation, and the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Today, nearly 47% of angel investors are women, a figure that has grown significantly over the past decade. This rise marks a turning point in the investment landscape, with women playing an increasingly central role in funding innovation and shaping future markets.

Discover the top female angel investors, what they look for in founders, and how you can grow your business by securing the right kind of funding and mentorship.

The 10 Top Female Angel Investors

Here are today’s top female angel investors spanning the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Each female investor has a proven track record, helped companies grow (some into unicorns), and many are female founders themselves. 

Theresia Gouw

Theresia Gouw is a co-founder of Acrew Capital and is the first woman billionaire in venture capital. A former Accel partner, she invests in fintech, SaaS, and cybersecurity, and has been recognized on Forbes’ Midas List multiple times as one of the best female investors. 

Kim Perell

A serial entrepreneur turned investor, Kim Perell has backed more than 100 startups. She’s known for helping founders scale consumer-first businesses with data-driven marketing and brand storytelling.

Deepali Nangia

Deepali Nangia is a partner at Speedinvest and co-founder of Alma Angels, one of Europe’s largest female-led angel networks. She focuses on supporting underrepresented founders in femtech, healthtech, and climate tech, and was named UKBAA Angel Investor of the Year in 2021.

Joanne Wilson

Known as The Gotham Gal, Joanne Wilson is a long-time New York-based angel investor and advocate for female founders. She has invested in dozens of consumer, food, and real estate startups and shares her insights on entrepreneurship and funding through her blog, Gotham Gal.

Julia Hartz

Co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite, Julia Hartz has become a respected angel investor backing purpose-driven tech startups. She invests in founders who demonstrate strong execution and product-market fit, with a focus on consumer and SMB platforms.

Sophia Bendz

Sophia Bendz, a Partner at Cherry Ventures and former Global Marketing Director at Spotify, is one of Europe’s leading femtech investors. Through Cherry VC and Atomico’s Angel Programme, she supports female founders in health, wellness, and consumer technology.

Cyan Banister

Cyan Banister is an early tech investor credited with spotting breakout startups like Uber, SpaceX, and Postmates. A partner at Founders Fund and a self-taught technologist, she champions innovation and diversity in Silicon Valley’s startup ecosystem and is known as one of the best female angel investors.

Sarah Kunst

Sarah Kunst is the founder and managing director of Cleo Capital, where she invests in early-stage consumer and tech startups. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, she’s a vocal advocate for diversity in venture capital and women’s economic empowerment.

Fran Hauser

Fran Hauser is an angel investor, author, and former media executive focused on women-led startups. She has invested in companies like HelloGiggles and IFundWomen and mentors founders on building kind, profitable, and purpose-driven businesses.

Jessica Verrilli

Jessica Verrilli, co-founder of #Angels and former Twitter executive, invests in technology and productivity startups with a mission to increase women’s equity ownership. She’s known for her thoughtful approach to mentorship and impact investing in Silicon Valley.

Female Angel Investors Summaries 

Below is an overview of today’s most influential female angel investors, spanning the U.S. and Europe, along with their investment focus, notable portfolios, and the best ways to get in touch with them.

Top Female Angel Investors 

Female Investor Groups and Networks

Female-led investor groups and female venture capitalists are reshaping how early-stage funding works, creating communities where women investors back women founders. These networks don’t just provide capital; they open doors to mentorship, partnerships, and a powerful ecosystem of support.

Below are some of the most active and impactful female investor groups you can connect with today. A lot of these female VCs are also led by female business investors. 

1. Alma Angels

Co-founded by Deepali Nangia, Alma Angels is one of Europe’s most influential women-focused angel communities.
It brings together over 400 female investors who invest in and mentor female and underrepresented founders. The network partners with Speedinvest, one of Europe’s top seed funds, to streamline deal flow.

How to pitch: Founders can apply directly via the Alma Angels website.

2. Golden Seeds

Founded in the U.S. in 2005, Golden Seeds is one of the largest and longest-running angel networks focused on funding women-led startups. The group has invested over $170 million in more than 240 companies across technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

How to pitch: Entrepreneurs can submit their business through the Golden Seeds application portal.

3. Pipeline Angels

Pipeline Angels is a U.S.-based network that trains women and non-binary investors and directs funds to underrepresented founders. Since 2011, it has built a portfolio of over 100+ companies founded by women and non-binary entrepreneurs.

How to pitch: Startups can apply for funding during scheduled pitch summits via the Pipeline Angels website.

4. #Angels

Founded by Jessica Verrilli and a group of early Twitter executives, #Angels is a collective investing in innovative technology startups, with an emphasis on increasing female representation in the cap table.

How to pitch: While they do not have a public application form, founders can connect through AngelList or professional introductions via LinkedIn and Twitter.

5. Female Founders Fund

Though technically a venture capital fund rather than an angel network, the Female Founders Fund operates with the same mission — investing exclusively in female-led startups. Their portfolio includes companies like Rent the Runway, Bumble, and Co–Star.

How to pitch: Founders can contact or apply through the website.

6. The Helm

The Helm is an investing platform designed to make it easy for accredited investors to invest in women-led companies. Beyond funding, it also curates educational resources and networking opportunities for women in finance.

How to pitch: Startups can reach The Helm via the official contact form.

7. G9 Ventures

Founded by Amy Griffin, G9 Ventures is a New York–based early-stage investment firm dedicated to building and supporting consumer, lifestyle, and wellness brands.

The firm’s mission is to back companies that help people live better and feel better, with a strong emphasis on brands that align with modern consumer values — sustainability, authenticity, and inclusivity.

Notable Investments: Glossier, Goop, Rothy’s, Outdoor Voices, Daily Harvest

How to pitch: Founders can reach out via [email protected] or through the official G9 Ventures website and the email provided. 

Tip: Joining a female networking group is also a powerful way to build meaningful connections, grow your career, and discover opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. Never underestimate the power of consistent networking — it could lead to your next investment, partnership, or breakthrough opportunity.

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Why Do Women Get Less Funding?

While great progress has been made with the significant rise of female angel investors, women-led startups and businesses still receive less funding. Why is this the case, and how can we change this trajectory for women’s startup funding.

Women are risk-averse and underestimate themselves

When women pitch to venture capital investors, they tend to be more conservative about the targets they expect to achieve. Men, on the other hand, are often overly confident and optimistic, presenting more ambitious goals, which can make them appear more believable. However, women founders frequently underestimate their valuations yet over-deliver on results, leading to stronger long-term performance.

Tip: Don’t underestimate yourself or set big targets and act big to be seen as visionary. 

The Gender Gap in Venture Capital

The gender imbalance isn’t just on the founder side; it starts in the investment community itself. Globally, less than 15% of decision-making roles in venture capital are held by women.
That means the majority of funding decisions are still made by male-dominated investment committees, who, often unconsciously,  favor ideas, products, and markets they personally relate to. As a result, categories like femtech, childcare, and women’s health have historically been underfunded despite massive consumer demand. 

This highlights the importance of female investors and female funding success stories. Share them.

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Bias in language and how it affects female founders

A well-known study found that investors ask promotion questions (“How big could this get?”) to men and prevention questions (“How will you avoid failure?”) to women. Or “What major milestones are you targeting this year” to men and “How predictable are your future cash flows” to women. 

The result? Men raise, on average, seven times more funding simply because they’re framed as growth opportunities instead of risk profiles. 

Tip: Challenge language bias and direct your responses to promotional answers.

What’s changing — and what still needs to

Initiatives like All Raise, Female Founders Fund, Alma Angels, and Pipeline Angels are training women to become both female investors and founders, attacking the problem from both ends. Female serial entrepreneurs like Kim Perell are also setting a new precedent, showing how women can be serial founders and investors. 

Government and institutional programs, from the EU’s Women TechEU to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership, are also expanding access to capital for women entrepreneurs.

Female Shark Tank judges Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Emma Grede are also showing women what is possible and what ideas they want to bet on. 

Yet, progress remains uneven.

To change that, the industry must rethink risk, promote female angel investors and investors, and challenge the assumptions baked into pitch culture.

Because when women are funded, they outperform, reinvest, and lift entire ecosystems — proving that equality in capital allocation isn’t just fair economics, it’s smart investing.

Top Tips on How to Pitch to Investors

Securing investment takes more than a great idea. It requires understanding what investors look for, how to build trust, and how to communicate your value clearly.

Crafting your pitch 

Your pitch is not just a presentation; it is your story, your business model, and your vision for the future. Investors want to see that you understand the market and that you are the right person to win in it.

Lead with vision and proof. Clearly define the problem you are solving, why it matters, and how your product or service delivers measurable results.

Show traction early. Include real evidence of growth such as paying customers, user data, partnerships, or pilot results.

Tell a clear, confident story. Investors respond to founders who balance ambition with credibility. Focus on impact, not hype.

Be transparent about risks and solutions. Every business has challenges. Acknowledging them with honesty and outlining how you’ll overcome them shows strategic maturity.

Building Relationships and Trust

Investors often back people before they back companies. The strongest pitches come from founders who have already built authentic relationships with their investors.

Engage before you pitch. Follow investors on social media, attend their events, and contribute to discussions in their network. Familiarity builds confidence.

Personalize your outreach. Reference something specific about their past investments or interests. For example, “I saw you invested in a company addressing sustainability in retail. We’re tackling a similar issue through technology.”

Stay consistent. Even before you raise capital, share updates about progress or milestones. It shows accountability and persistence.

Seek feedback, not just funding. Many experienced investors value founders who are coachable and open to advice. Relationships built on mutual respect often lead to long-term partnerships.

What Not to Do 

Being vague about the business model. Investors need to understand exactly how you will make money and scale.

Avoiding financial details. A credible grasp of your numbers — customer acquisition costs, margins, burn rate, and growth forecasts — shows you are investment-ready.

Downplaying achievements or goals. Confidence and thinking big is key. Frame your traction as evidence of potential, not a small success.

Tip: Watch successful pitches and programs such as Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank to study how entrepreneurs present their ideas, handle tough questions, and communicate confidence.

Investors fund people, not just projects. Preparation, authenticity, and clarity are what separate strong pitches from the rest. Show that you are authentic, resilient, and ambitious. 

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Invest in Women

Women represent one of the most powerful, yet historically underfunded, forces in business.
When women have access to capital, they don’t just build profitable companies, they create lasting social and economic impact.

Studies consistently show that women are more likely to be social entrepreneurs, reinvesting profits into their teams, families, and communities. This creates a ripple effect that multiplies economic growth, promotes inclusion, and builds more resilient societies.

The good news is that the number of female investors is rising, slowly reshaping how wealth and opportunity are distributed. Female angel investors are shifting perspectives, driving new businesses, and helping women grow their businesses and think big.

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